State's Democrats start summer campaigning in Brockton

Massachusetts Democrats got an early jump on vying for votes in November's elections Saturday in the city.

Benjamin Paulin The Patriot Ledger @BPaulin_Ledger

BROCKTON – Massachusetts Democrats got an early jump Saturday on vying for votes in November’s elections in Brockton.

Members of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, including former party chairman and Abington native John Walsh, canvassed Brockton, knocking on doors and handing out literature in Ward 1 Saturday morning.

The visit to Brockton was part of a larger effort across the state to canvass as many as 30 communities Saturday and Sunday. It is the first such large-scale effort the party has made this year in preparation for the November elections.

“We’re here today to begin the conversation with people in Brockton and around the state. Democrats are talking to voters about what’s at stake in November and we believe the best way to do that is face-to-face, one at a time,” Walsh said. “Even though it’s a warm day in July and the election seems a long ways away, we’re going to start.”

Walsh served as chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party from 2007 to 2013. He now works as the executive director of the Together Political Action Committee for Governor Deval Patrick.

Five people, including Walsh, met in the parking lot of 7-Eleven on Pleasant Street and divvied up streets in the area. The group was out for about two hours and were hoping to knock on about 30-40 doors apiece.

“You’ve got to start somewhere,” Walsh said. “Brockton is a key place. It’s a place that represents the greatest potential for Massachusetts.”

Walsh said Brockton’s voters tend to vote for Democrats and he expects the city to play a large role in this year’s elections.

“Over time we intend to, as we have in past years, build a strong volunteer base. We’ll have an office here by September and this work now is the effort to get that going,” he said.

The group will be back out in Brockton today. Walsh said the party was hoping to reach out to as many as 30,000 people statewide over the weekend.